Demonstration against Turkish President Erdogan, Stockholm, Sweden, January 21, 2023 (Photo: Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last night (Monday) that Sweden should not expect Ankara's support in joining NATO - this is following the protests against it, including the burning of the Koran near the Turkish embassy, in the Swedish capital at the weekend.
The demonstrations against Turkey in Stockholm on Saturday and against its joining of the Scandinavian country to NATO increased tensions with Ankara, whose approval Sweden needs to join the North Atlantic Alliance.
"Those who allow blasphemy in front of our embassy can no longer expect our support for their membership in NATO," Erdogan said in a speech after the cabinet meeting. Your country," he asserted.
Sweden's foreign minister, Tobias Billström, refused to comment on Erdogan's words, stating that he wanted to understand exactly what he said.
"But Sweden will respect the agreement that exists between Sweden, Finland and Turkey regarding our membership in NATO," he added in a statement to the Reuters news agency.
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